Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-04-15
How Man Of Genius Was Re-
formed.

From the Boston Transcript.
There is pretty sure to be some To-
cal interest in a. story told by the
Rev. a.. j. Rich in sermon preached
on the life OF the late DR.. William
Greenleaf Eliot, OF ST. Louis, All hon
ored pastor In the Unitarian denomi-
nation. Mr.. Rich tells how, having
had OCCASION to write briet nlemoirof
Henry Giles the Irish hunchback ora
tor, who had been one of his own parish
toner's at Hyde Park, he wrote for
material to Dr.. Elliot, who had been
Giles intimate friend The letter
that he received contained many in
terestlng "reminiscences among them
one which Mr.. Rich thus relates:
"Mr. Giles was to make g. Western
lecture tour and WAS to start with
Chicago. There he had friends who
entertained him, as it would seem, too
hospitality, in some directions. In
appearing on the platform he showed
sings OF abnormal exhilaration which
the large and cultivated audience inter
Preted as the effect OF a toosfree use of
drink. The next day the papers re-
ported the exhibition made, and the
sad fall Of the finest orator the Ma
ton had ever welcomed from the old
world or had produced at home. 1t
Travelled far and near It went on
swift wings to St. Louis, where he was
booked to lecture the next week. He
made his way tardily to that city and
to the study OF the young minister
Eliot, by whose efforts he had been
chosen to fill an evening in the lecture
course. On Saturday afternoon the
door. bell rang and short man, not
five feet high, dressed in bkarskin coat,
cap and gloves, stood before him in
his study. His first words were, Well;
! am here, and [ suppose, you have
heard all about it.A&F nleant you
should before got here, hence my de-
lay Yes said the host for the hour,
I am sorry to say that I have read
all about my friends trouble; have
weighed the matter$t+oo;' then taking
him by thehapdy ~ >oking him in
the face, added, ha. care to lecture
on Tuesday evepip preach for
me to.morroW.N X "~' ranged and
notice is widely spre, &
"Giles was silent for moment with
pent up emotion, and mingled sur.
prise and gratitude, and then replied,
Elliot, you have saved me! l shall
obey orders But said his friend,
'on this condition, that you are not to
stop at the hotel. I have provided
entertainment for you at q friends
house, and after tea with me we will
20 over and I will introduce you to
most agreeable parties That night
a. heavy snowstorm came, and not.
withstanding the bad roads, the
church'the next day was crowded, and
the pastor was a listener. The Doc
tors account OF the services in this
letter was most glowing, and he said
such prayer he never heard from
mortal lips, Notwithstanding it was
written out and read-probably writ
ten that very morning under the in
SEPARATION of that brief interview IN
Eliot's study From that day forth,
for over twenty years, this weak and
sorely tempted once-fAllen man went
from city to city, all over this land,
from Bangor to San Francisco, and
spoke before the best audiences to be
secured, and never again, that ! can
learn, was he led into tempta tion by
which his audience or his friends were
called upon to apologize for his be,
havior."